NCAA Tournament

[gordonmann]

I was trying to check this, but a lot of the archived info hasn't been moved to the new d3hoops.com yet.  I found that Hope won the national title in 1990 on their home court, but since then will this be the first time a host school remembered to be a gracious host by showing up for their own party?!

The Division III national semifinals moved to a neutral site format in 1999. Before that the championship games were hosted by one of the four participants.  The last team to host and play in a Final Four was Southern Maine in 1998. The Huskies lost to Washington U. in the final and the Bears won three more titles consecutively.  The last team to win a national title on its own court was New York University in 1997. The Violets beat UW-Eau Claire 72-70 in Manhattan.

Here's how the last 10 teams hosting a national championship did.

1998   Southern Maine hosted and lost to Washington U in the final 77-69
1997   NYU hosted and beat UW-Eau Claire in the final 72-70
1996   UW-Oshkosh hosted and beat Mount Union in the final 66-50
1995   Capital hosted and beat UW-Oshkosh in the final 59-55
1994   UW-Eau Claire hosted but did not advance to the final. Capital beat Wash U. 82-63
1993   Central hosted and beat Capital in the final 71-63
1992   Moravian hosted and lost to Alma in the final 79-75
1991   St. Thomas hosted and beat Muskingum in the final 73-55
1990   Hope hosted and beat St. John Fisher in the final 65-63
1989   Centre hosted but did not advance to the final. Elizabethtown beat Cal State-Stanislaus 66-65

So the home team won 6 of 10 national titles.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks, Gordon.  What have been the results on the pre-set sites - have any host teams made it to the FF before this year?

[gordonmann]

No problem.

No, no host team made it to the Final Four during the preset format before this year. Western Connecticut hosted championship weekend from 1999 - 2001 and the Colonials didn't make the NCAA tournament during that period. Rose-Hulman hosted in 2002 and 2003 and the Engineers have never made the tournament. Virginia Wesleyan hosted in 2004 and 2005 and didn't make the tournament during that period.

Springfield hosted in 2006 and 2007. The Pride made the tournament in 2006 but lost in the first round to Messiah. They didn't make the tournament in 2007.

Hope hosted in 2008 and 2009. As you know, they lost in the national quarterfinals each year (at Howard Payne in 08, versus George Fox at Thomas More in 09). Illinois Wesleyan lost in the Sweet 16 last year.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks again!  I'm sure Hope will try hard to duplicate the feat the next two years, but I'm not sure of their chances with Carrie Snikkers graduating.

[bearsfan]

This year they get to be on the court instead of in the stands for the "Shirk Invitational"!!

We'll see Friday if it was bad thing that they drew the team that won last year's championship on their court and who plays on their court every third year.  In their favor is that they've beat the Bears four years running and didn't play them the two prior.  They haven't lost to the Bears since Manning and Beehler were juniors.

Except when they beat IWU on their home floor in the Elite 8 game in 2009 to make the Final 4.

[Mr. Ypsi]

This year they get to be on the court instead of in the stands for the "Shirk Invitational"!!

We'll see Friday if it was bad thing that they drew the team that won last year's championship on their court and who plays on their court every third year.  In their favor is that they've beat the Bears four years running and didn't play them the two prior.  They haven't lost to the Bears since Manning and Beehler were juniors.

Except when they beat IWU on their home floor in the Elite 8 game in 2009 to make the Final 4.

Alas, you are correct.  Those Titans were 30-0 going in to that game (including an early win on YOUR home court).

[Hoosier Titan]

This year they get to be on the court instead of in the stands for the "Shirk Invitational"!!

We'll see Friday if it was bad thing that they drew the team that won last year's championship on their court and who plays on their court every third year.  In their favor is that they've beat the Bears four years running and didn't play them the two prior.  They haven't lost to the Bears since Manning and Beehler were juniors.

Except when they beat IWU on their home floor in the Elite 8 game in 2009 to make the Final 4.

Alas, you are correct.  Those Titans were 30-0 going in to that game (including an early win on YOUR home court).

I'm not against an undefeated season for the team I support, but now that that's not an option for the Titans this season I don't mind at all.  They have memories this season of losing, and VERY(!) recent memories of being behind and having to come back.  And they know they don't have to have home court advantage to win, as they've shown against Wash U, Kean, and UWSP this season.  Two of their three d3 losses came at Shirk.  So I agree that Wash U probably feels at home at Shirk, as of course do the Titans.  I think "home court" is a non-issue for these two teams.

[realist]

Thanks again!  I'm sure Hope will try hard to duplicate the feat the next two years, but I'm not sure of their chances with Carrie Snikkers graduating.

Mr. Y.  There was much more to the Hope team than just that one player.  Granted she is a heck of a player, but Hope probably would have been almost as good without her.  Remember she did not win mvp in her conference the last 2 years.

[gordonmann]

Hope has a great program and I think they'll contend for the title again. But I don't know how anyone could say "Hope probably would have been almost as good without her."  She wasn't the conference MVP last season but she was a first team All American and national player of the year.  She's a very special talent and will not be easily replaced.  You don't see many 6-foot players with great footwork in the post who can also step back and shoot the three.  Based on what I've seen of Hope, they are a Top 10 team with Snikkers and (in their current configuration) somewhere in the 15-25 range without her.

[mark_reichert]

This year they get to be on the court instead of in the stands for the "Shirk Invitational"!!

We'll see Friday if it was bad thing that they drew the team that won last year's championship on their court and who plays on their court every third year.  In their favor is that they've beat the Bears four years running and didn't play them the two prior.  They haven't lost to the Bears since Manning and Beehler were juniors.

Except when they beat IWU on their home floor in the Elite 8 game in 2009 to make the Final 4.

Arrgh!

I was concentrating so much on the early season games, when looking at the past record, I forgot to check out postseason.

[sumfun]

Quiet boards for the day before the games begin.  I'm hoping that the refs let the girls play and don't call "touch" fouls.  The refs need to realize the game belongs to the kids, not the refs.  Really don't want to see the refs try to "even" out a lopsided game.  These should be the best NCAA D3 has, so let the games begin!!!

[gordonmann]

If anyone is still prowling about, we tried something new for this year's final four.  We put together five minute profiles on each team that you can listen to and watch on UStream.


Click here for Amherst

Click here for Christopher Newport

Click here for Illinois Wesleyan

Click here for Washington U.

[ronk]

Gordon,
  Good idea on the previews and going the extra mile to enhance the coverage. Probably should have Kean's coach as analyst since she played 3 of the 4 teams.
  When u get a chance after the final weekend, how was the final 4 hosting decided in that 89-98 period? seeding? geographical? 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Amherst will be in the final - they lead by 12 with 48 seconds remaining.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Incredible second semi game!  At the half, WashU is up 45-42, but the game has been totally back and forth.  Titans have led by 7 twice; Bears by 3 on several occasions.  For a while it looked like BOTH teams might hit triple digits, but tired legs have cut the shooting a bit (at one point, IWU was 75% overall, and 71% from 3, and TRAILED 26-23 ).